Regulatory Affairs Senior Manager

Position Purpose

The Senior Manager, Regulatory Affairs Greater Asia is responsible for leading regulatory strategy, execution, and team management across key Southeast and Northeast Asian markets (e.g., Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Japan, Thailand). This role ensures regulatory compliance while acting as a strategic business partner to commercial, R&D/CTS, and marketing teams.

The position requires a proactive, forward-looking regulatory leader who translates regulatory intelligence into actionable business insights and enables successful product innovation, market access, and growth across the region.

Key Accountabilities

1. Regional Regulatory Strategy & Leadership

• Develop and implement regulatory strategies to support business objectives across the region.
• Provide forward-looking regulatory guidance, identifying risks, opportunities, and mitigation strategies early in project lifecycles.
• Ensure compliance with local regulations, standards, and industry codes across markets.
• Represent regulatory affairs in regional leadership discussions and decision-making forums.

2. Team Leadership & Capability Development

• Lead, coach, and develop a regional regulatory team (direct and/or matrix reports).
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and proactive engagement.
• Define clear objectives, performance expectations, and development plans for team members.
• Ensure appropriate allocation of resources across priority markets and projects.

3. Proactive Regulatory Business Partnering

• Act as a strategic partner to commercial and technical teams:
• Provide regulatory input aligned with business priorities.
• Support innovation, product development, and customer projects.
• Deliver regulatory recommendations framed with a business impact lens (cost, feasibility, timelines, risk).
• Participate in commercial pipeline and go-to-market discussions to anticipate needs.

4. Regulatory Intelligence & Insights

• Establish and maintain a robust system for monitoring regulatory developments across the region.
• Ensure regulatory intelligence is:
• Captured systematically
• Interpreted for relevance
• Translated into actionable insights
• Lead the communication of regulatory changes and implications to cross-functional stakeholders.
• Drive tools/processes such as regulatory tracking systems (e.g., REG WATCH) and escalation pathways.

5. Stakeholder Engagement & Influence

• Build strong relationships with:
• Internal stakeholders (Commercial, Public Affairs, Marketing, R&D/CTS, Legal, Quality)
• External stakeholders (regulatory authorities, industry associations, partners)
• Represent the company in industry associations (e.g., Food Industry Asia or equivalent):
• Extract value from participation by translating insights into business-relevant actions
• Contribute to advocacy and regulatory shaping initiatives
• Facilitate cross-functional alignment and decision-making.

6. Project & Portfolio Support

• Provide regulatory leadership for innovation projects.
• Identify regulatory risks and opportunities and propose alternative pathways (e.g., best-case vs. risk scenarios).
• Ensure timely regulatory deliverables aligned with project timelines.